


Undercurrent

by NachoDiablo



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Beach, Alternate Universe - Lifeguards, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Anxiety, But Not From Steve, First Dates, First Kiss, Grumpy Bucky Barnes, Jealous Bucky Barnes, M/M, Meet-Cute, Misunderstandings, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Oblivious Bucky Barnes, Peter and Aunt May make a brief cameo, Pining Bucky Barnes, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Trans Character, Trans Steve Rogers, because that trope is tired, body issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-21 05:28:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15550656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NachoDiablo/pseuds/NachoDiablo
Summary: Bucky might be more than a little smitten with a certain cute, blond lifeguard, but there's no way his feelings are reciprocated... right?





	Undercurrent

**Author's Note:**

  * For [roe87](https://archiveofourown.org/users/roe87/gifts).



> Thank you Roe87 for running [Hell Yeah Bottom Bucky](https://hellyeahbottombucky.tumblr.com/) and the RomCom Ficlet Challenge!

Bucky is going to fire his therapist.

Okay, so maybe he can’t fire the only therapist within a thirty minute commute from his apartment who takes his shitty insurance, but he will have strong words for her at their next session.

Well, no, he can’t get mad at someone who brings macaroons to their sessions and argues with Medicaid to get them to accept Bucky’s prescriptions, but he will think angry thoughts about her now, as he sits in an uncomfortable chair with sand in his shorts and stray hair strands blowing up his nose.

Bucky’s not sure how stepping on shells and acquiring an itchy sunburn is supposed to help his anxiety. Maybe other people find it relaxing to be out in the open surrounded by loud children and rogue beach balls, but Bucky is growing more uncomfortable by the minute.

It’s true that most people aren’t like Bucky. Most people are lounging with friends in swimsuits. Bucky is hunched over alone, swathed in a long sleeve tshirt to hide his scars. His knapsack sits on his lap, clutched lightly against his chest. His hat is pulled low over his face so that he can avoid eye contact. He is trying very hard not to notice anyone, or be noticed in return.

Well… maybe he’s not trying to avoid noticing  _ everyone. _

Bucky’s chair is inadvertently set up with a perfect view of the lifeguard stand. He has been stealing glances at the three lifeguards on duty over the past hour. There’s a redheaded girl with a nice figure and a frightening smirk. There’s a dark-skinned boy with a killer smile and a friendly laugh. 

And then there’s  _ him. _

Tall. Built. Blond. Shit.

Bucky has been carefully observing the blond lifeguard for the past hour. He’d watched as the blond had singlehandedly dragged a lifeboat into the ocean, cheerfully assisted an elderly couple with their umbrella, and graciously accepted some seashells from a giggling gaggle of tweens.

Bucky had wondered about the two scar lines on the blond’s chest, faded and smooth, in contrast to the angry, roughened snarls on Bucky’s own arm and shoulder. That mystery had been solved, however, when Bucky had spotted the trans pride pin on the blond’s knapsack.

Bucky had scanned for bi, pan, or gay pride pins as well, but hadn’t spotted any. Not that it matters. Guys like that don’t go for people like Bucky, not when they could have anyone they wanted. 

The rush of water on his toes startles Bucky out of his brooding. He looks down at his feet, scowling at a hunk of seaweed that’s wedged itself between his toes. Before he can reach down to dislodge it, someone clears their throat next to him.

“Hi there!” The blond lifeguard stands next to him with a bright smile.

Bucky blinks in confusion. “Um… hi?”

The blond seems oblivious to Bucky’s awkwardness. “The tide’s coming in, just so you know. We’re asking everyone to move up the beach a little. Don’t want anyone floating out to sea.”

Bucky just stares up at that sunny grin. This guy’s even cuter up close, but he doesn’t seem to realize that his presence is causing Bucky to lose brain cells. “Um… okay.”

Bucky gets up carefully, still clutching his knapsack. He shifts the knapsack onto his right shoulder and goes to pick up his chair, realizing his mistake a fraction of a second too late. His left arm is not dexterus enough to grab his chair and maneuver it up the beach. 

He sighs and bends forward to put down his knapsack and readjust. At the same time, the blond grabs the chair and swiftly plucks it up from the sand.

The blond’s “I’ve got it!” mixes with Bucky’s “Ow, shit!” as the chair frame collides with Bucky’s head.

Bucky’s already a little lightheaded after spending a long-sleeved hour roasting in the sun, and the smack to the head isn’t helping. Nor are the strong arms wrapped around him in an attempt to keep him steady.

“I’m so sorry! Are you all right?”

Bucky takes a deep breath and attempts to gather his bearings. “I… I think so. Shit.”

The blond’s brow is furrowed with worry. “Does it hurt?”

Bucky struggles to remain as calm as possible while pressed against a firm, warm chest of someone he’s been discreetly ogling all morning. “No,” Bucky says wryly, “it tickles.”

The blond’s eyebrows shoot upward in alarm. Bucky’s head is still throbbing, but he can’t stop the smirk that spreads across his face, not can he bite back the chuckle that flies absurdly from his lips.

Bucky’s not sure how they both end up bursting into fits of laughter. He’s not sure if the adorable blush on the blond’s cheeks is making his dizziness better or worse. All he’s sure of is that he wants to keep those arms wrapped around him for as long as possible.

“Hey, Rogers! You gonna come over here and get that dude an ice pack, or are you gonna stand around hugging him all day?”

The dark-skinned boy is hanging off the lifeguard stand with a smirk. The redheaded girl is staring intently out at the water, but the corners of her mouth are upturned slightly.

The blond rolls his eyes. “Be right over,” he answers. He clears his throat as he turns back to Bucky. “Sorry again, Come on, Sam’ll patch you up.” He chews on his lower lip nervously. “I’m Steve, by the way.”

Bucky likes the way Steve’s arm stays curled around him as they make their way to the lifeguard stand. “I’m Bucky,” he says quietly. “Nice to meet you. Well, mostly.”

“Don’t worry,” Steve says with a bashful grin, “I’ll make it up to you.”

Bucky doesn’t answer. He doesn’t tell Steve that he’ll gladly take another whack to the head in exchange for more of Steve’s smiles.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Pretending to read is surprisingly difficult. You have to keep your eyes focused so they don’t glaze over. You have to turn the pages at regular intervals. You have to take breaks so you don’t plow through the book too fast.

It’s even harder to keep up the facade when you’ve got someone staring at you.

Bucky has been pretending to read  _ The Dark Tower _ for the last forty minutes in an attempt to stave off another anxiety attack and force himself to relax. Unfortunately, there have been some distractions. For the first thirty minutes, Bucky had been preoccupied with Steve and Sam doing their calisthenics and warm-up runs. Steve had beaten Sam in their sprints, but Sam had eked out two more push ups. 

Bucky had not felt any release of anxiety as he’d noticed how the contours of Steve’s muscles glistened with sunscreen as he did his stretches. But the knots in his stomach seemed to be transforming into loose butterflies, so that was something.

Over the past week, Bucky has come to the beach every morning. Every morning, Steve has managed to find a reason to stop by Bucky’s chair to drop off an extra ice cream bar that he had purchased in error, or ask him for a spare hair tie for the redheaded girl (Nat is her name, apparently), or simply just to say hello. 

If Bucky were someone else, he’d suspect that Steve is flirting with him. But Bucky’s just Bucky, so he’s fairly confident that it’s all wishful thinking. Especially since Steve has spent the last ten minutes of Bucky’s fake reading time chatting cheerfully with a blonde girl in a strapless swimsuit who had come up and greeted him with a familiar hug.

As if the blonde’s bouncy ponytail and chiming laugh aren’t enough to irritate him, Bucky’s also been distracted by a small boy with sandy brown hair and Spiderman jams inching closer and closer to his chair. Staring. 

Eventually, Bucky lets out a sign and closes his book as he looks over at the boy warily. “Do you need something?” he asks.

The boy’s eyes widen. He can’t be more than four.

Bucky clears his throat and tried again. “Are you okay? Where’s your family?”

The boy’s lower lip begins to tremble, and his eyes fill with tears.

“Shit,” Bucky mutters. He stands up hastily and drops the book on his beach chair. “Come on, let’s go.”

The boy perks up a bit as he grabs for Bucky’s hand. “Shit,” he agrees, and Bucky cringes.

When they reach the lifeguard stand, only Nat and Steve are there. The blonde girl’s absence soothes Bucky’s nerves a little.

“Um, hey,” he says, “I think this kid’s lost or something.” Bucky gestures down to his side where the boy is plastered against his leg.

Nat presses her lips together distastefully, but Steve bends down to the boy’s height. “Hi there!” he says cheerfully. “What’s your name?”

The boy promptly bursts into loud tears and winds his arms around Bucky’s leg. Bucky stiffens and fights against the urge to shake him off and flee. Instead, he pats the boy once on the head and holds his arms out slightly from his sides in discomfort.

Steve looks distressed as he runs a hand through his hair and looks over at Nat helplessly. Nat shrugs and shades her eyes towards the ocean.

“Peter?  _ Peter! _ Are you okay?!”

A dark haired young woman in a sarong is running towards them. She looks relieved as she reaches out her arms, but the boy, whom Bucky assumes is named Peter, only clings tighter to Bucky’s leg.

“Shit,” he sniffles, and Bucky is about to pray for a tidal wave to end his misery, but luckily the woman only rolls her eyes. 

“I told you not to use that word,” she chides gently. “Now please let the nice man go and we’ll get some ice cream, okay?”

Peter wipes his nose on Bucky’s shorts and runs over to the woman, who smiles apologetically.

“I’m so sorry,” she says. “He’s my nephew, and I’m not really used to kids. I freaked out when I realized he was gone.” She’s pretty, Bucky notices, and only a year or two older than him, probably.

“No worries,” Steve says. “Bucky took good care of him.”

The woman turns to Bucky and gives him a subtle once-over before flashing a winning smile. “Thank you! That’s very kind of you. I’ll love to buy you and ice cream, too, if you want. To thank you properly. Or… maybe a coffee later?”

Bucky nearly chokes on his inhale. He’s not used to having people hit on him these days, let alone attractive people, which this woman most definitely is. Bucky might be hella gay, but he’s not blind.

“Um, no-- no thanks,” Bucky says, trying not to stammer too hard. “I’ve got to-- I have to leave soon.”

“No worries,” the woman says easily. “Maybe next time.” She has Peter wave one last goodbye before leading him towards the snack stand.

“Well, that was exciting.” Nat’s deadpan voice drifts down from the her perch on top of the lifeguard stand. “We nearly saw a meet-cute happen right before our very eyes. Just like in the movies.”

Bucky feels his cheeks flush. “Not likely.”

Nat looks down at him and lowers her sunglasses to meet his gaze cooly. “And why’s that?” she asks. “You already dating someone?”

“Nat, please.” Steve’s cheeks are pink. Bucky wonders why he looks so pained. Probably secondhand embarrassment, he decides.

Bucky ignores Steve’s odd behavior and looks up at Nat. “No,” he answers. “But if I was, it wouldn’t be her. Since she’s, you know… a  _ her.” _

“Ah.” Nat arches one eyebrow. “So you’re only into men, then?”

Bucky nods. “Yeah. I’m gay.”

“And single?”

“Nat!” Steve hisses. “Don’t pry!”

“I’m not  _ prying,” _ Nat says, “I’m  _ clarifying. _ Bucky already said he wasn’t dating anyone. I’m just clarifying that fact.”

Bucky is a bit bewildered as he watches Steve and Nat exchange heated glances, clearly engaging in a silent conversation that he can’t decipher. “Um… yeah, I’m single.”

“Single and gay,” Nat muses. She smiles down at Bucky, and it’s the first genuine smile he’s seen on her. “So am I. That’s interesting. Don’t you think that’s  _ interesting, _ Steve?”

“It’s fascinating,” Steve says flatly. His expression softens as he turns back towards Bucky. “Are you really leaving soon?”

Bucky shakes his head. “No,” he says, “I’ve still got some more to, uh, read.”

Steve beams and reached out to squeeze his shoulder. “Great,” he says. “I’m going to grab a soda, do you want me to see if they have a Diet Cherry Coke for you? I know that’s your favorite.”

Bucky smiles weakly. “Sure,” he says, “that’d be great.” 

He is unsure as to whether his heart is soaring at Steve knowing his favorite drink, or sinking at the knowledge that it’s clearly only intended in a friendly manner.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Bucky isn’t sure at what temperature human skin melts, but he’s positive that the current temperature is at least five degrees hotter than that.

He’s discarded his hat and pulled his hair back into a low bun, but his long sleeved shirt is pooling with sweat, even as he stands shin-deep in the cool water. Just when he thinks he can’t get any more uncomfortable, he hears Steve calling out a greeting behind him.

“Hey, Buck! Trying to cool off?” 

Bucky smiles and rolls his eyes. “Trying, and failing. Don’t know how you stand it.”

“Well, I’m not wearing long sleeves, for one,” Steve points out. “Honestly, style aside, I’m worried about you. You’re gonna pass out from heat stroke and drown in six inches of water.”

Bucky hasn’t checked WebMD, but he’s pretty sure standing in close proximity to a shirtless Steve (who is barely sweating at all, except for a few rivulets on his abs that Bucky is absolutely not thinking about licking off) is not going to do anything to lower his core body temperature.

He attempts to keep his breath steady as he replies, “If I passed out, you’d save me, wouldn’t you?”

Bucky isn’t sure why Steve’s cheeks go pink at his words. Maybe the heat’s getting to him, too.

“‘Course I would, Buck. Or Nat would end up having to save both of us, more likely.”

Bucky snickers. “She’d save  _ me, _ for sure. Dunno about you. Is someone who enjoyed the Star Wars prequels really worth saving?”

“They weren’t that bad!” Steve protests with a laugh. “They’re not the best, but--”

“You can just end that sentence right there,” Bucky says with a note of teasing in his voice. “And keep your voice down. I don’t want Nat to overhear and get all worked up again.”

Steve rolls his eyes. “Believe me, she’s got other things on her mind.” He eyes Bucky for a moment before saying carefully, “Are you sure you don’t want to take off your shirt? I’m serious about the heat stroke risk, you know.”

Bucky looks down at the waves rushing against his legs. “Don’t think anyone wants to see that,” he mumbles. When you get right down to it, he’s pretty sure he’d rather die from heat stroke than take off his shirt in front of Steve.

“I, uh… I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Steve says. He chews on his lower lip for a moment before adding, “besides, who cares what people think? Have you seen the people on this beach? They’re not supermodels. Just regular folks.”

“Maybe so,” Bucky mutters, his gaze lowered, “but I’m not... I’ve got scars. Car accident. Messed me up pretty bad. Inside and out.”

Even those few words are difficult for Bucky to confess, but Steve doesn’t seem fazed. He smiles gently and reaches out to squeeze Bucky’s shoulder. “I’ve got scars too, y’know. I get it. But it doesn’t matter.”

Bucky scowls. “Yeah, well, you’ve got…” He pauses to gesture down Steve’s torso. “You’ve got… you…  no one’s looking at your  _ scars, _ for fuck’s sake!”

Steve’s eyes are wide as his blush deepens. Bucky mentally kicks himself. Great. Now he’s gone and gotten Steve flustered with his pathetic crush sneaking out. It’s not his fault, though. Steve and his stupid abs are making Bucky lose his concentration. 

And maybe the heat’s playing a part, too. Shit.

“Bucky,” Steve says softly, “No one will be looking at your scars, either. Look around. Everyone’s doing their own thing. No one cares.”

Bucky wants to argue more, or maybe just run off the beach altogether, but by this point, his shirt’s nearly soaked with sweat, and he’s starting to feel light headed. Quickly, before he can overthink it, he pulls his shirt over his head, being careful not to jostle his left arm too much.

“There,” he grumbles, “happy now?”

Steve doesn’t answer. His eyes flicker down Bucky’s torso for a moment before he brings his gaze back up to Bucky’s face with a smile.

“Yeah,” he says eventually with a small smile. “I am. And I bet you feel better too, right?”

Bucky snorts, but doesn’t reply. He’s trying hard not feel Steve’s eyes on him as he stands tall and attempts to casually suck in his gut a bit. He’s never been as cut as Steve, but prior to the accident, he’d been pretty fit. He’s still got most the muscle tone, but months of hiding under the covers with takeout have added a light layer of chub in some very noticeable places.

“So, I was thinking,” Steve says slowly, “there’s going to be a bonfire tonight here on the beach. Nat and Sam will be there. And me. Would you want to go? Like… go  _ with _ me?”

Bucky’s a bit taken aback, but quickly recovers. By now, he considers Steve a friend, and he supposes the feeling is mutual. “Sure,” he says. “Sounds fun.”

“Really?” Steve smiles a lot, but right now he’s positively beaming. “Awesome! That’s great! I don’t know the details yet, but I’ll text you when I’ve got them.”

“Okay,” Bucky says with a nod. “Sounds good. Just let me know.”

“I will,” Steve promises. “I’ve gotta get back to work, but--”

“Steve! There you are!”

Bucky tries not to scowl as the blonde girl who’s always hanging out by the lifeguard stand bounces up next to Steve. She gives him a hug, which he accepts happily.

“Hey!” Steve says. “Have you two met, officially? Sharon, this is Bucky. Bucky, this is Sharon. You’ve probably noticed her hanging around.”

Bucky nods and forces a smile. “Yeah. Nice to meet you.”

Sharon grins and waves. “Nice to meet you too, finally.” She turns back to Steve and wiggles her eyebrows. “You heading back to the stand? I’ll walk with you.”

Steve chuckles and shakes his head. “Yeah, I am. Nat and Sam are waiting. As you no doubt already know.” He looks over at Bucky. “I’ll text you later?”

“Sure,” Bucky says calmly. “Keep me posted.”

“I will,” Steve promises before Sharon starts dragging him back to the lifeguard stand. She waves back at him, but Bucky pretends not to notice as he heads back to his chair to pack up. 

Any small fledgling of hope that Steve might have been flirting with him over the past few weeks is snuffed out by now. He’s obviously just a friendly guy, with better options than Bucky. Not that it matters. Even if Steve is into guys, he’s clearly also into girls, and Sharon isn’t exactly being subtle with the way she’s always hanging around. 

Then again, Steve doesn’t seem to pay Sharon any more attention than he does Sam or Nat. Maybe Sharon’s feelings aren’t reciprocated after all. Maybe Sharon is pining for the unattainable the same way Bucky is… 

Bucky tries to shove those thoughts from his mind and focus on how nice Steve is to have as a friend. It’s progress, he thinks. He’ll have to tell his therapist about it at his next appointment, once he’s back in the city. Steve lives in Brooklyn too. Maybe they can meet up for coffee, or whatever it is that friends do.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

By the time Bucky makes it to the beach that evening, the party is already in full swing. The bonfire’s roaring, and about twenty people are gathered around, talking and laughing and drinking.

Bucky’s surprised by how calm he feels. He’s still anxious, of course, but it feels manageable tonight. He smooths out his tshirt and looks around for Steve, but spots Sam first. Sam waves jauntily and comes over to greet him.

“Bucky!” he exclaims, “you made it!” He passes over a Corona, which Bucky gratefully accepts.

“Thanks,” Bucky says. He takes a sip, then looks around. “Is Steve here yet?”

“Yeah,” Sam answers, gesturing towards the other side of the bonfire. Steve is standing with Sharon and Nat. Steve is laughing at something Sharon’s just said, while Nat looks away with apparent disinterest.

Sam chuckles and elbows Bucky gently in the ribs. “Can you believe it? Those two losers finally got their shit together and did the date thing.”

“Oh.” Bucky struggles in vain to stop his stomach from sinking. “They’re… dating?”

“Well, they’re on their first date, technically,” Sam clarifies. “Can’t believe Sharon finally asked. I think they’ll make it work, though. They’re good together.”

“Yeah,” Bucky says mildly. “Sure.” He looks around frantically for an escape route. “I’m just gonna grab some chips or something.”

“Sure man,” Sam says with a grin. “I’ll go tell Steve you’re here.”

“You really don’t have to…” Bucky trails off. Sam is already headed towards Steve, shouting something that makes Steve duck his head and blush.

Bucky is panicking. He thought he could do this, but he obviously can’t. He’s got to get back to his hotel, pack his bags, and flee this hellhole people call vacation. Before he can take his first step, however, he feels a hand on his shoulder.

“Bucky!” Steve is flushed and happy, holding a half empty Corona. “I’m so glad you’re here!” He pulls Bucky into a hug, and Bucky’s too weak not to return it. He tries not to enjoy the warm, safe feeling of Steve’s arms around him.

“Yeah,” he says as he steps back. “I’m here.”

“I’m glad,” Steve says. “I was really happy when you agreed to come.”

“I mean, I’m just stopping by,” Bucky says quietly. “I don’t wanna stay too long.”

Steve nods. “It’s a lot of people. We don’t have to stay, if you don’t want to. We can go somewhere more quiet. Whatever you want.”

Bucky’s brow furrows in confusion. “I don’t… I don’t want to ruin your date.”

Steve laughs. “What do you mean? The date’s barely started, and if anyone’s gonna ruin it, it’ll probably be me.”

“I mean, you’ll ruin it if you stay here all night,” Bucky says warily. “You’d better go back.”

Steve looks confused. “Go back to what?”

Bucky grits his teeth. Why is Steve being so weird? “Go back to your  _ date.” _

Steve raises an eyebrow. “Um… I’m already with my date.” He moves closer and rests his arm around Bucky’s shoulders.

“Well then, where’s Sharon?” Bucky shoots back.

“Sharon? Sharon is with  _ her _ date.” Steve grins and gestures to the left. Bucky looks over, and his jaw drops.

Sharon and Nat are standing next to each other. Sharon’s whispering something in Nat’s ear. Nat is looking away, but there’s a soft smirk on her face, and her arm is wound around Sharon’s waist tightly.

Bucky is confused. If Sharon’s date is Nat, then that means Steve’s date is… 

Oh.  _ Oh. _

Bucky feels like a dumbass. The luckiest dumbass ever.

Steve leans over to whisper in Bucky’s ear. “Are you feeling okay? We can sit down, if you want?”

Bucky’s heart leaps. He bites back a grin as he turns to face Steve.

“I’m good,” he says evenly. “But you know… If this is a date, maybe you should kiss me. All good first dates start with a kiss.”

“I thought they ended with a kiss,” Steve says with a slow smile.

Bucky tilts his head slightly. “They can do both.”

And this first date absolutely does.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear what you think, either here or on [Tumblr](https://samstevebuckyhq.tumblr.com/).


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